Just in time by the looks of things, as Guard #2 was looking at the cupboard at the back of the cellar, so if there aren’t any other entrances or exits and the camera in panel 4 is close to the ‘front’ wall, it would be the most logical place for Vivi and Ilias to be hiding (as I doubt they’d be able to squeeze into a barrel and replace the lid).

Sadly, I doubt Vivi’s carrying any teleportation cubes with her to help them escape, or any of her mini robots (as seen in the “repatriation” of the Avaril)

Well hopefully they will just confiscate those and won’t delve any deeper.

This is too easy of a story-line. Novil usually sets something like that up, and then does something different with it. Some possibilities:
They’re using the invisibility crystal (from Lili’s prison escape)
The guards arrest the owner and Viv/Ilias are left on their own again.
The 2nd guard does look into the wardrobe (and finds…)
They have to fight and capture the guards and are then able to interrogate them.
The guards recognize them and decide not to arrest them (Very unlikely)
They are caught! That would be a surprise.
or
Novil switches it up on me and does use the standard story-line – the guards just confiscate the morels and leave.

No problem. This is the old decoy ruse. The barman wanted the soldiers to find the mushrooms. Now they think they know what he was hiding, they’re going to confiscate the mushrooms and fail to find the others.

I’m not saying it makes sense for the soldiers to act like that, I’m just predicting the trope.

Possibly, they are hiding into a secret room where the real stuff is hidden, the one that would identify the barman as a member of the resistance.

Let’s hope Vivi has her rainbow knife. If so, she might intercede in the arrest. Cutting through a sword should get the guards’ attention. Of course, if they have backup close it could mean trouble.

Rose morels. Are they important for some potions? Does not seem quite period to ban hallucinogens.

@ ktrimbach:
Would not expect it of Novil, but there’s room for a different twist here. Guards are corrupt, rose morels are simply tasty luxuries, and the guards are intimidating a country bumpkin so they can steal his valuables without him knowing.

Trading them has been banned, if we are to take Finley’s word for it, but what about possession? Is it illegal to have rose morels in one’s possession if they are never traded? Also, who’s to say Brandul didn’t just pick them himself? Is it a crime in this setting for someone to go mushroom hunting and pick some rose morels for his own personal use (whatever it is they’re used for)?

Trimutius wrote:
Did Vivi have anything for invisibility? I don’t remember…
She has a flight medallion. They’ve probably jumped out a window or something.
Also, for the life of me, I will never understand arbitrary trade restrictions. We apparently can’t get haggis easily in the states. Why? I guess because most Americans thinking it’s gross?

That’s the actual reason, as for the excuse that was given it was scabies aka the sheep equivalent of mad cow disease. Although as I previously stated that is just an excuse.

Now the question is whether the inn-keeper was deliberately playing the patrol in order to have them find the minor contraband and so not search more carefully, or whether he’s just that incompetent at keeping secrets?

Well hopefully they will just confiscate those and won’t delve any deeper.

This is too easy of a story-line. Novil usually sets something like that up, and then does something different with it. Some possibilities:
They’re using the invisibility crystal (from Lili’s prison escape)
The guards arrest the owner and Viv/Ilias are left on their own again.
The 2nd guard does look into the wardrobe (and finds…)
They have to fight and capture the guards and are then able to interrogate them.
The guards recognize them and decide not to arrest them (Very unlikely)
They are caught! That would be a surprise.
or
Novil switches it up on me and does use the standard story-line – the guards just confiscate the morels and leave.

Right from reading this page the first time, I’m already assuming the “bartender gets arrested” scenario. You don’t get away with just a confiscation for something where the “seven years” part has to be emphasized.
For extra punch, maybe he gets executed. That way, this scene can mirror Lydia’s sacrifice in the previous one.

There MAY be a “checking the closet but there’s nothing there” for added suspense. But the bartender is going down, no doubt.

@ Infernal_Translator:
I qestion stuff all the time, thus why I ponder why there is meat plants in this particular universe. The meat/fruit hybrid most alien aspect of this universe and I still have no idea if this was some byproduct of magic motivated by the ‘militant vegan’ beliefs or if the Knorzer’s just thought it would be a interesting idea to incorporate into their world building. Anyway, my qestion is meaningless in regards to this page considering they are talking about a actual Rose-Like-Merol and NOT a Meat-Grown-Like-A-Morel as I originally thought (the rose red through me off, thought it looked like raw meat)

I accesed this webcomic just today, after some weeks not doing it. So until now I read the comments in “Monster 021” about if Eldor is evil, good or just a very pragmatic person trying to avoid a greater evil. I found and interesting reasoning about the distinction of good and evil in another webcomic, that I published in that page: http://www.sandraandwoo.com/gaia/2016/06/28/monster-021/.

I wantedto let you know in case someone is interested in following that discussion.

@ Infernal_Translator:
I qestion stuff all the time, thus why I ponder why there is meat plants in this particular universe. The meat/fruit hybrid most alien aspect of this universe and I still have no idea if this was some byproduct of magic motivated by the ‘militant vegan’ beliefs or if the Knorzer’s just thought it would be a interesting idea to incorporate into their world building. Anyway, my qestion is meaningless in regards to this page considering they are talking about a actual Rose-Like-Merol and NOT a Meat-Grown-Like-A-Morel as I originally thought (the rose red through me off, thought it looked like raw meat)

There are meat-plants because people do not want to kill other creatures since those have a “spirit” too.

That’s nothing to do with “militant” veganism. They just *know* that all life comes from the same source and shares the most important quality – namely having a spark of Gaia in them.

Plus they learnt during “The Darkness” that they can’t risk wiping out species.

In short: Gaia is not Earth. All life on Gaia is much much stronger interconnect with each other. And they *know* it. It’s not just a religious belief or just another -ism. It is proven-beyond-doubt knowledge.

She has a flight medallion. They’ve probably jumped out a window or something.
Also, for the life of me, I will never understand arbitrary trade restrictions. We apparently can’t get haggis easily in the states. Why? I guess because most Americans thinking it’s gross?

Jumping out a window? From an underground storeroom? Even a flight stone wouldn’t be able to allow that.

@ anonymouse:
HAHAHA!!! I came in here just to say something similar…
Gesundheit.

I might someday read Gaia. It’s not really my thing but it looks interesting and of course the art is fantastic. 🙂
Honest question: If I don’t care about video games and magic, does anyone think I would enjoy it? The story must be good or else you people wouldn’t be here. 😉

*goes back to Sandra and Woo*
Some very interesting stuff is about to go down! Extra-special arc.